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Umbo Shelves

Umbo Modular Shelving Unit by Kay LeRoy Ruggles for Directional
By Kay Leroy Ruggles, Directional
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1970s. USA. Modular shelving unit with gorgeous sun fading.
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Umbo Modular Shelving Unit by Kay LeRoy Ruggles for Directional
By Directional, Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1970s. USA. Modular shelving unit with gorgeous sun fading.
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Plastic

1970s Umbo Modular Shelving Unit by Kay LeRoy Ruggles for Directional 26 Pieces
By Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Monrovia, CA
1970s UMBO Modular Shelving Unit Designed by Kay LeRoy Ruggles For Directional, Made In The USA, 26
Category

Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Recent Sales

1970’s UMBO Shelves, Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional
By Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Very hard to find 10 piece 1970’s UMBO Shelves, Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional. Original white
Category

20th Century Unknown Space Age Bookcases

Materials

Plastic

Umbo Shelving
By Kay Leroy Ruggles, Directional
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1970s by Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional and featuring a completely modular design. This unit has scuffs, chips, and a crack in one area but still reads wonderfully
Category

Vintage 1970s American Space Age Shelves and Wall Cabinets

Materials

Plastic

Umbo Shelving
Umbo Shelving
H 65 in W 33.5 in D 12 in
Umbo Shelving
By Kay Leroy Ruggles, Directional
Located in Chicago, IL
by Kay Leroy Ruggles c. 1970s in great vintage condition with minor scuffing, scratches, and other normal wear
Category

Vintage 1970s American Space Age Shelves

Materials

Plaster

Umbo Shelving
Umbo Shelving
H 72.5 in W 33.5 in D 12 in
Umbo by Joe Colombo
Located in Norwalk, CT
A very large set of Umbo shelving units designed by Joe Colombo for Directional in the early 1970s
Category

Vintage 1970s American Shelves

Umbo by Joe Colombo
Umbo by Joe Colombo
H 72 in W 116.5 in D 12 in
1970’s Orange Umbo Modular Shelving
By Kay Leroy Ruggles, Directional
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Orange Umbo modular shelving system designed by Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, 1970’s. in
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Kay Leroy Ruggles UMBO Modular Horizontal Shelve
By Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Rare Kay Leroy Ruggles UMBO modular horizontal shelve / room divider manufactured by Directional
Category

Vintage 1970s American Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Umbo Modular Shelving, Kay Leroy Ruggles, 1970
By Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Brown modular Umbo storage by Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, 1970s. Total of 13 pieces+endcap
Category

Vintage 1970s American Space Age Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Kay Leroy Ruggles UMBO Modular Horizontal Shelf
By Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Rare Kay Leroy Ruggles UMBO modular horizontal shelve / room divider manufactured by Directional
Category

Vintage 1970s American Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Joe Colombo designed for Directional "Umbo" shelf
Located in Ferndale, MI
Joe Colombo designed for Directional "Umbo" shelf - white plastic Wall Unit can be assembled in
Category

Vintage 1960s Shelves

Kay Leroy Ruggles Umbo Midcentury White Shelving Console
By Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Kay Leroy Ruggles umbo midcentury white shelving console Shelf measures: 49 wide x 12 deep x 25
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Glass, Plastic

1970’s Umbo Modular Shelving by Kay Leroy Ruggles
By Directional, Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Yellow Umbo modular shelving system designed by Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, 1970. In
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Kay Leroy Ruggles Modular Umbo Console Shelf Unit Bookcase
By Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Brooklyn, NY
White, molded ABS plastic, modular "Umbo" shelf unit, bookcase in a console configuration by Kay
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Orange Umbo Shelving, Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, 1970s
By Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Iconic Umbo modular shelving designed by Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, USA 1970s. Strong
Category

Vintage 1970s American Space Age Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Umbo Corner Unit, Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, 1970s USA
By Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Rare 18-piece Umbo corner unit by legendary American designer Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional. 75
Category

Vintage 1970s American Space Age Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Large Kay LeRoy Ruggles plastic modular shelving/bookcase "UMBO"
By Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Buffalo, NY
Normally attb. to Joe Colombo,, sleek ,elegant white wall unit, room divider. SIX FOOT. will fit seemlessly into any environment .Designed by Kay LeRoy Ruggles, for Directional indus...
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Umbo Modular Shelving Unit Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, 1970s, USA
By Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Modular Umbo storage unit by Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, USA 1970s. Breaks down for shipping
Category

Vintage 1970s American Space Age Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Umbo Modular Shelving System, Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, 1971 USA
By Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Iconic and highly collectible Umbo modular shelving system by Kay Leroy Ruggles, Directional 1971
Category

Late 20th Century American Space Age Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Midcentury Pop Art Plastic Umbo Shelves by Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional
By Kay Leroy Ruggles, Directional
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A hard to find set in the most desirable color. This Umbo set is a modular system designed by Kay
Category

Vintage 1970s American Space Age Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Orange Red Modular Plastic Umbo Bookshelf
By Directional
Located in Hopewell, NJ
1972 Kay Leroy Ruggles patented this easy "Umbo" system to make shelving, coffee tables
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Kay Leroy Ruggles UMBO Modular Vertical Shelf
By Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Van Nuys, CA
-pieces/shelves/kay-leroy-ruggles-umbo-modular-horizontal-shelve/id-f_775121/ USA, 1972
Category

Vintage 1970s American Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Kay Leroy Ruggles Modular Umbo Shelf Unit Bookcase
By Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Brooklyn, NY
White, molded ABS plastic, modular "Umbo" shelf unit, bookcase by Kay Leroy Ruggles is made up of
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Space Age Umbo Modular Shelving Unit by Kay Ruggles for Directional
By Directional
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A Umbo Space Age modular shelving unit in a molded yellow ABS styled plastic containing 28 pieces
Category

Mid-20th Century American Space Age Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Kay Leroy Ruggles Two Colors Plastic Shelving/Bookcase, "UMBO" Bookcase Normally Attb to Joe Colombo
By Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This is a very smart and easy concept of build furniture, in 1972 Kay Leroy Ruggles patents the easy system to make shelvings , coffee tables and many more furniture ideas. This syst...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Brown "Umbo" Modular Console by Kay Leroy Ruggles, 1970
By Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Los Angeles, CA
reconfigured. "Umbo" shelves are rare and increasingly difficult to source. They were only produced for 3
Category

Vintage 1970s American Post-Modern Console Tables

Materials

Plastic

Kay Leroy Ruggles Brown "UMBO" Modular Shelf Unit for Directional
By Kay Leroy Ruggles
Located in Salt Lake City, UT
Good vintage condition Has some imperfections A couple pieces have a small crack Also not all the dowels are original This unit can be re arranged in many different sizes and...
Category

Vintage 1960s Shelves

Materials

Plastic

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Marc Held for Prisunic Molded Fiberglass Bed, c. 1966
By Prisunic, Marc Held
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Be the envy of your friends with this rare and sought after piece of the Pop-Art movement history by Parisian designer Marc Held. In 1966 Held collaborated with Prisunic to design an...
Category

Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Materials

Fiberglass

Marc Held for Prisunic Molded Fiberglass Bed, c. 1966
Marc Held for Prisunic Molded Fiberglass Bed, c. 1966
$5,500 Sale Price / set
30% Off
H 15 in W 91 in D 82.5 in
Eero Aarnio for Asko Chair Orange Fiberglass Pastil or 'Pastille', Finland, 1968
By Asko, Eero Aarnio
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
An orange high gloss fiberglass 'Pastille' ('pastil' or 'Gyro') chair designed by Finish designer Eero Aarnio in 1968 for modern furniture maker Asko Oy in Helsinki, Finland. This vi...
Category

Vintage 1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

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Eero Aarnio Pastille Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Eero Aarnio Pastllle Lounge Chair Originally designed in 1967 This example was manufactured by Adelta C. 2000 Original Neon Green Color There are 2 available, priced individually
Category

Early 2000s Finnish Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Eero Aarnio  Pastille Chair
Eero Aarnio  Pastille Chair
$1,900
H 21 in W 36 in D 36 in
George Nelson Home Office Desk Model 4658 for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Dallas, TX
George Nelson & Associates Home Office desk, model 4658 Manufactured by Herman Miller USA, 1946 This example is constructed of combed oak, chrome-plated steel, aluminum, and leat...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Aluminum, Steel

White Eero Aarnio Iconic Pastilli 'Pastille' Chair, Fibreglass Asko, 1980s
By Eero Aarnio, Asko
Located in Helsinki, FI
Eero Aarnio's Pastilli chair is a colourful, playful and a genious design by one of the Finnish design giants of our times. With it's shiny colour it looks almost like a giant candy...
Category

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Materials

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20th Century, Ettore Sottsass "Tower Furniture" Series Wall Cabinet
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Turin, Turin
Ettore Sottsass grew up in Turin, and graduated in architecture from the Turin Polytechnic in 1939. In 1947, he founded his own studio in Milan. In 1956, Sottsass moved to New York w...
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets

Materials

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Vintage Pastil Chair by Eero Aarnio
By Eero Aarnio, Asko
Located in Mortsel, BE
Introducing the Pastil Chair by Eero Aarnio in a timeless white color – a true vintage gem. This iconic chair, designed by the renowned Finnish designer, boasts a distinctive round f...
Category

Late 20th Century Finnish Space Age Lounge Chairs

Materials

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Vintage Pastil Chair by Eero Aarnio
Vintage Pastil Chair by Eero Aarnio
$3,449
H 19.69 in W 35.44 in D 35.44 in
First Edition Pastil Easy Chair - Eero Aarnio
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Antwerpen, BE
An orange, early edition 'Pastil' easy chair, designed by Eero Aarnio in 1967. The year after he received the American Industrial Design Award. The New York Times wrote about the Bal...
Category

Mid-20th Century Finnish Space Age Lounge Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

George Nelson Vanity Stool from Knoll, 1950s
By George Nelson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Classic model 4672 vanity stool designed by George Nelson. Plush rectangular seat gracefully perched on a brushed aluminum base. Minimal design and compact size makes it an attractiv...
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Aluminum

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Umbo Shelves For Sale on 1stDibs

There is a range of umbo shelves for sale on 1stDibs. The range of distinct umbo shelves — often made from plastic and glass — can elevate any home. Umbo shelves have been made for many years, and versions that date back to the 20th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 20th Century. Umbo shelves are generally popular furniture pieces, but Mid-Century Modern style is often sought at 1stDibs. Kay Leroy Ruggles and Directional each produced beautiful umbo shelves that are worth considering.

How Much are Umbo Shelves?

Prices for umbo shelves start at $1,600 and top out at $4,900 with the average selling for $2,745.

Materials: Plastic Furniture

Arguably the world’s most ubiquitous man-made material, plastic has impacted nearly every industry. In contemporary spaces, new and vintage plastic furniture is quite popular and its use pairs well with a range of design styles.

From the Italian lighting artisans at Fontana Arte to venturesome Scandinavian modernists such as Verner Panton, who created groundbreaking interiors as much as he did seating — see his revolutionary Panton chair — to contemporary multidisciplinary artists like Faye Toogood, furniture designers have been pushing the boundaries of plastic forever.

When The Graduate's Mr. McGuire proclaimed, “There’s a great future in plastics,” it was more than a laugh line. The iconic quote is an allusion both to society’s reliance on and its love affair with plastic. Before the material became an integral part of our lives — used in everything from clothing to storage to beauty and beyond — people relied on earthly elements for manufacturing, a process as time-consuming as it was costly.

Soon after American inventor John Wesley Hyatt created celluloid, which could mimic luxury products like tortoiseshell and ivory, production hit fever pitch, and the floodgates opened for others to explore plastic’s full potential. The material altered the history of design — mid-century modern legends Charles and Ray Eames, Joe Colombo and Eero Saarinen regularly experimented with plastics in the development of tables and chairs, and today plastic furnishings and decorative objects are seen as often indoors as they are outside.

Find vintage plastic lounge chairs, outdoor furniture, lighting and more on 1stDibs.

Finding the Right Shelves for You

From valuable historical memorabilia to rare architectural models to priceless family photos, there’s no shortage of collectibles and curiosities worthy of adorning your home. Why not take the time to find the ideal antique, new or vintage shelves for your treasured trinkets?

For every space and object, there’s sure to be a wall-mounted or sturdy floor solution that matches your shelving needs on 1stDibs. And while shelves should technically stick out from your wall, they shouldn’t from the rest of your decor.

Because you can find shelves made with a wide variety of materials today, everything from teak to brass, your shelving can seamlessly support your existing color scheme and design style. An arrangement of shelves from floor to ceiling can turn your wall into a proud storage space for displaying artwork, decorative objects and books. Options abound with regard to shelving for the latter, as furniture designers know that literature creates an inviting atmosphere in any room, and one of the simplest ways to integrate books into an interior design is with the right shelves or bookcase.

Elegant shelving is a must for a happy home office or library, but a sharp shelving system can freshen up virtually any room in your home. Proudly display your vintage dinner plates and other tableware with open shelving in the kitchen or tuck away linens in big baskets on shelves in your bathroom if you’re navigating life without a proper linen closet.

On 1stDibs, find a wide range of shelves that includes everything from mid-century modern floating shelves to decorative Chinese shelves dating from the 18th century to contemporary statement-making structures that are as provocative as they are convenient.